Rex Bohn
Humboldt County
First District Supervisor
825 5th Street
Eureka, California 95501
Phone: (707) 476-2391
Fire Departments:
Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department
Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company
Loleta Volunteer Fire Department
Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department
Humboldt Bay Fire (see 4th District for 2015 report)
Redcrest Volunteer Fire Company
Scotia Volunteer Fire Company
9
Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department
Chief: Daniel DelBiaggio
Asst. Chief: Andy Titus
P.O. Box 485
Ferndale, CA 95536
707-845-7399
[email protected]
ferndalefire.org
The Ferndale Volunteer Fire Department (FVFD) provides firefighting and emergency services to the
Ferndale Fire Protection District (FFPD). The FFPD is responsible for a 42 square mile area containing
the City of Ferndale, rural communities and farmland of the lower Eel River Valley on the south side
of the river, and the Wildcat Ridge. The FVFD was founded in 1897 and is comprised of 34 members,
with a Chief, two Assistant Chiefs, four Captains and Lieutenants, and 23 firefighters. Some of our
current volunteers are third and fourth generation FVFD members.
The historic Fire Hall was built in 1910 and still houses front line apparatus. Larger, modern engines
and water tenders are housed in the new building across the street from the original hall, which was
completed in 2010. FVFD has one light Rescue Truck, Two Type 1 Engines, one Type 2 Engine, two
water tenders, a Quick Attack Truck and other assorted equipment. The FPD recently replaced a
Type 2 engine with a new four-wheel drive Type 1 Engine. The FVFD continues to conduct its Annual
Fund Drive, visiting every home and business in the district checking smoke detectors and providing
information about the department. Other community events include the Annual Fireman’s Games
on Ferndale’s Main Street, held on President’s Day weekend, fire truck rides on the Fourth of July,
two annual community blood drives, and the lighting of the tallest living Christmas tree in the world
every December.
Veg. Fires
13
Incident
3,880
Struct. Fires
12
Other Fires
24
Volunteer Hours
Training
Maintenance
1,920
635
Incident Responses
Veh. Acc.
Medicals Haz/ Menace Public Assists
9
156
4
10
Total Responses
Other Services
2
230
Personnel
Fundraising
275
Volunteer
34
10
Auxiliary
0
Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company
Chief: Marcus Dube
PO Box 74
Honeydew, CA 95545
707-373-4631
[email protected]
honeydewfire.com
Established in 1987 as a 501c3 non-profit
corporation, the Honeydew Volunteer
Fire Company (HVFC) serves a response
area of nearly 100 square miles. Our
area of responsibility is rugged and
isolated, presenting challenges to
wildland firefighting, structure defense,
and the delivery of emergency medical
and rescue services. To keep response
times to a minimum, we maintain four
separate, strategically located fire
stations. We respond with a 6WD water
tender, three Kaiser Type 6 engines
(federal excess 4WD’s from the Vietnam
War era), and a new-to-us 2003 Ford 550 crew cab, pictured
above. Our community is approximately 400 strong, and has
consistently supported us financially. With their collaboration,
we have completed three first-rate single-purpose stations,
the third adjacent to the CAL FIRE Mattole Station, and have
ambitious plans and support for a fourth station in the
Panther Gap area. Annually, the HVFC produces the “Roll
on the Mattole,” an all-day music, crafts, and family-fun
fundraiser that includes the Mattole Wildland Firefighters'
Challenge.
HVFC has also collaborated with members of the local
community to help make Honeydew a nationally
recognized Firewise Community.
Honeydew has been Firewise since 2011
and has maintained this status through
2015. The fire company continues to
assist with the implementation of the
community’s Firewise Action Plan.
Firewise actions include those things that
will reduce the community’s vulnerability
to damage from wildfire.
Veg. Fires
2
Incident
300
Struct. Fires
1
Other Fires
3
Volunteer Hours
Training
Maintenance
800
500
Challenges & Needs:
Our community is small in
population but large in area, and
keeping up our roster of volunteer
firefighters and providing adequate
training is always a challenge. New
training requirements with increased
class time and costs, raising money
for another newer fire truck, the last
of the four fire garages competing
for the money we raise each year,
as well as the cost of complete
insurance coverage for our
company and board of directors,
keeps us striving for grant funds and
donations, which is constant and
time-consuming.
Incident Responses
Veh. Acc.
Medicals Haz/ Menace Public Assists
2
11
1
Total Responses
Other Services
1
21
Personnel
Fundraising
600
Volunteer
16
11
Auxiliary
4
Loleta Volunteer Fire Department
Chief: Ken Nielsen
Asst. Chief: Jeff Robison
Asst. Chief: Andy Helzer
PO Box 119
Loleta, Ca. 95551
707-845-3090
[email protected]
The Loleta Volunteer Fire Department provides firefighting
Challenges & Needs:
services to the Loleta Fire Protection District, which was
Our goal is to build our number of
formed in 1900 and currently has 26 active members. We
volunteers
up to 30. We also need to
currently have two paramedics and we are registered as an
recruit
more
volunteers who don’t
Advanced Life Support (ALS) Department. We serve over
work outside of the district and can
1,500 community members by utilizing the district’s Type 1
Engine, two Type 2 Engines, one Type 3 Engine, and a water
be available for daytime calls.
tender. Our biggest fundraiser is the Loleta Antique Show
and Pit BBQ. In 2015 we purchased a new Type 1 Engine
from Piercey, we also have received grants to upgrade our SCBAs and Air Filling Station. From
Measure Z we were able to complete our SCBA project and we received wildland and structure
turnouts to replace some aging sets.
Veg. Fires
8
Incident
2,534
Struct. Fires
9
Other Fires
34
Volunteer Hours
Training Maintenance
1,545
384
Incident Responses
Veh. Acc. Medicals Haz/ Menace Public Assists
29
153
8
8
Total Responses
Other Services
18
267
Personnel
Fundraising
794
Volunteer
23
12
Auxiliary
0
Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department
Chief: Travis C. Howe
Captain: Drew Barber
Captain: Jim Stephens
58 Sherman Street
P.O. Box 169
Petrolia, CA 95558
707-629-3558
[email protected]
The Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department (PVFD) provides
firefighting services to the Petrolia Fire Protection District
(PFPD). In 2015, the PVFD totaled 4,700 volunteer hours,
taken from incidents, training, maintenance, fundraising,
prevention, community service, and other department
related functions. We have 20 volunteers who serve as
responders, maintainers, secretaries, dispatchers,
administrators, fundraisers, and all the other elements it
takes to run a fire department. Four of our members are
EMTs (Emergency Medical Technician) and eight are
medical first responders.
Challenges & Needs:
It has been challenging to stretch our
resources to cover a large response
area, including areas located outside
of the PFPD boundary. We looked at
expanding our boundaries to match
where we regularly respond to
emergency calls but after much
discussion and evaluation, we
decided not to move forward at this
time.
Our apparatus include one 2,100 gallon water tender,
two Type 3 engines, a Type1 engine, an ambulance-type
medical rescue engine, and an ATV with a winch. For as much as we give to this community, they
give back. Two examples are the outstanding turnout and generosity for our yearly BBQ and
auction. We also receive miscellaneous donations throughout the year. We received much needed
equipment through the Fire Chiefs’ Association Measure Z grant, including SCBAs (which have
already been used on a car fire) as well as wildland and structure fire PPE (both of which have
already been used). We are grateful for this equipment which would have
been very difficult for us to purchase ourselves.
The PVFD has also collaborated with members of the local community to help
make Petrolia a nationally recognized Firewise Community. Petrolia has been
Firewise since 2011 and has maintained this status through 2015. PVFD continues
to assist with the implementation of the community’s Firewise Action Plan.
Firewise actions include those things that will reduce the community’s
vulnerability to damage from wildfire.
Veg. Fires
7
Incident
1000
Struct. Fires
-
Other Fires
7
Volunteer Hours
Training
Maintenance
2200
600
Incident Responses
Veh. Acc.
Medicals
3
15
Haz/Menace Public Asst.
3
1
Total Responses
Other Services
1
37
Personnel
Fundraising
900
13
Volunteer
19
Auxiliary
5
Redcrest Volunteer Fire Company
Chief: Justin Olander
Asst. Chief: Ed Lewis Jr
Captain: Steve Jones
P.O. Box 27
Redcrest, CA 95569
The Redcrest Volunteer Fire Company (RVFC)
serves communities in the Redcrest, Holmes,
Larabee, Shively and Stafford areas as well as
the corridor of Highway 101 and Highway 254
from Dyerville Loop to Shively Road.
707-672-5840
[email protected]
Challenges & Needs:
Currently, the RVFC does not have a firehouse
where apparatus can be kept secure and out
of the elements. A firehouse would also provide
a focal point for training and for bringing
together volunteers. The company has been
fundraising and reaching out to foundations for
assistance. It has also been difficult for the RVFC
to attract and retain volunteer firefighters and
efforts are underway to improve participation.
In addition, Engine 6710 is over 20 years old and
a replacement is needed. It is hoped that
County Measure Z funds could help with this.
It is with great sadness that Joy Oiler is retiring
from the RVFC after 22 years of dedicated
service and moving out of the area. Her
contributions will be sorely missed.
We respond with the following apparatus:
Engine 6710 is a Type 1 1989 International E-1
Pumper carrying 500 gallons of water and 20
gallons foam, with diesel power. Acquired in
2005, E 6710 is utilized on vegetation, structure,
vehicle fires and medical emergencies, and is also equipped with extrication equipment. Rescue
6770 is a 1995 Ford F-350 4-wheel drive Utility Truck, also equipped with medical equipment. It is
utilized for traffic accidents and minor incidents.
Through the Fire Chiefs’ Association Measure Z grant, we received five sets each of wildland and
structure PPE as well as six SCBAs.
Veg. Fires
-
Incident
80
Struct. Fires
2
Other Fires
6
Volunteer Hours
Training
Maintenance
325
20
Incident Responses
Veh. Acc.
Medicals Haz/ Menace Public Assists
13
14
3
1
Total Responses
Other Services
1
40
Personnel
Fundraising
50
Volunteer
4
14
Auxiliary
7
Scotia Volunteer Fire Company
Chief: John Broadstock
Deputy Chief: Nathan McKnight
Asst. Chief: Joe Timmerman
145 Main St
Scotia, CA 95565
707-764-4322
707-845-2995
svfdfire.com
[email protected]
The Scotia Volunteer Fire Company (SVFC) has eleven volunteers
who provide fire protection, medical, and rescue services to
approximately 800 people in a response area of 2.2 square miles.
The SVFC takes pride in training all of their firefighters and their
main goal is to make sure that firefighters are kept out of harm’s
way, so they can make it home safely.
Apparatuses used include Engine 7014, a Type1, 1,500 gallons
per minute (gpm) Pumper; Engine 7017, a Type-2
1,000 gpm Pumper; Engine 7047, a 250 gpm Mini Pumper; Rescue
7075, a Medical Response Vehicle; Chiefs Pickup
7000; and Rescue Trailer 7071, which carries Jaws-of-Life
and rope rescue equipment. This year, the SVFC was
able to purchase a UTV vehicle for off road responses from
donations & fundraisers.
Veg. Fires
2
Incident
458
Struct. Fires
8
Other Fires
28
Challenges & Needs:
As per Measure Z, acquiring
wildland turnouts is the main
need for this Fire Department;
however, we did not receive
an equipment inquiry this year.
Additionally, in the future we
would like to increase volunteer
staffing to 20 members, with an
ultimate goal of 30 volunteers.
Incident Responses
Veh. Acc.
Medicals
Haz/ Menace
Public Assists
18
71
2
9
Total Responses
Volunteer Hours
Training
Maintenance
414.75
-
Other Services
3
141
Personnel
Fundraising
63
15
Volunteer
11
Auxiliary
2